Activities for Seniors

Quirky Quiz

There are a number of Quirky Quizzes attached. Some of the residents groan when the answers are given but they are a lot of fun!

New Member Activity

Physical Activity Tic-Tac-Toe

Hi all, I'd love to share this physical activity I have created and use on a regular basis: seated O's & X's. (Also known as Naughts & Crosses, Tic-Tac-Toe or 3-in-a-row).

New Member Activity

Spring Floral Harvest Wands or Witches Brooms

This is a great multisensory activity that you can involve everyone in - with touch and smell and visually beautiful arrangements.

New Member Activity

Rainbow Guided Meditation

Before beginning, I do a short talk about the many benefits of meditation, (improved memory, better sleep, less anxiousness etc) to reinforce their willingness to attend. Keep to a slow pace, watch the tone of your voice, keep it happy and light and give your group time to absorb each sentence you say. Enjoy.

New Member Activity

Baseball Themed Family Event

Take everyone out to the ballgame with a delightful family event centered around baseball. Get inspiration for everything from the menu to activities and entertainment!

1 Comment New

Who Am I? October Birthdays

This activity features 8 famous people born in October!

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10 Tips for Ageing Better

1 October is International Day of Older Person’s so I have put together some slides with 10 tips to ageing better which I go through with my group and it encourages conversation! I always end with a quote or thought for the day and this one is from Winnie the Pooh!

1 Comment New Member Activity

Indoor croquet

We tried this out yesterday at our Memory Club and is was great fun!

3 Comments New Member Activity

Cruise Ship Theme Day

Welcome residents and issue them with their boarding tickets. Hand out garlands and hats. Invite them to have their photo taken! Have afternoon tea, enjoy an around the world quiz and play deck games.

5 Comments New Member Activity

Cooking Magic Scones

This is really good fun and we were all amazed, it really is magic! Just 3 ingredients.

7 Comments New Member Activity

Sifting and Sorting Bins for Dementia Care

Sorting and sifting bins are a wonderful staple to include in easy-to-grab areas for caregivers, family members, and residents to enjoy together. Here are inspiration and instruction to get you started.

3 Comments New Member Activity

Funny Short Stories #5

Some more funny short stories the share!

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Trivia and Facts

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a Thanksgiving tradition throughout America. You may even remember watching it as a child while family cooked and prepared for the big feast later in the day. Or, you may still watch it now while sipping your coffee and putting the turkey in the oven.

Gratitude Journaling Prompts and Starters

November is the ideal time to harness the excitement about counting blessings and start habits that some of your residents could continue for the months to come.

Cozy Sensory Kits

The fall and winter seasons are ideal for creating a few sensory kits that encourage coziness and relaxation. You can keep these kits in your office and use them during 1:1 interactions or for small groups.

This Day in History for Seniors: November

A reminiscing magazine for every day in November! Enjoy a full page of information about every day of the year, including important historical events, short biographies, jokes, quotes, and fun brain teasers.

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Dog Breeds Word Search

A dog breeds word search to enjoy!

Stuff the Turkey Game

This is a great intergenerational game! Race to stuff turkeys - the heaviest turkey wins!

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Thanksgiving Pennant Flag Banners

Make your own colorful bunting to decorate for Thanksgiving!

Peg Them Game

One person is the ‘peggar’. He/she goes around to an unsuspecting person and gently hangs the peg on their clothes, jackets or hair. This game may last a few hours or all day and it’s much more fun when people lose the game!

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Ball in the Bucket

There are many games where a tennis ball is thrown.  To keep from having someone run the ball down, I attach a long length of elastic to the ball, tie it VERY tightly around the middle and add 2-3 knots.

1 Comment Member Activity

Thanksgiving Dinner Game

In this game, create a menu with traditional Thanksgiving food and try to remember it as you add to it! This is a fun group game that could be adapted for Halloween or Christmas.

Favorite Moments on TV Reminiscing

Gather a group of residents for this fun activity; prompt them with questions; encourage them to re-enact or verbally describe the moments.

The First Digital Camera - Steven Sasson

Steven Sasson is the inventor of the first digital camera. It was as big as a toaster weighing 3.6 kilos or nearly 8 pounds! The pictures were black and white and it took 23 seconds to process the image.

Tongue Twisters in Different Languages

Enlarge for easy reading and invite residents from the cultures below to read and share other tongue twisters they know.

Epictetus - A Remarkable Philosopher

Who Is Epictetus? From Slave To World’s Most Sought After Philosopher

General Knowledge Quiz

Here is a fun general knowledge quiz to enjoy!

Inventors Word Search

An inventors-themed word finder for World Inventors' Day!

2 Comments

Vegan Word Search II

A vegan-themed word finder to enjoy on World Vegan Day!

Twister with a twist

I work in a 32 bed memory support unit. The residents all have cognitive impairment but most love this game. This is a great game for people of all abilities.

11 Comments Member Activity

15 Evening Trip Destinations

Outings are essential for a healthy and engaging activity program. However, you don’t have to rely on daytime hours for successful outings! Instead, challenge yourself to add at least one evening trip to your program each quarter. Residents will love the new opportunities and you’ll realize it is worth the extra planning.

2 Comments Member Activity

The Price is Right - Australian Version

Using Coles Mini Shops (Australia) from Coles we have created our very own version of the price is right!

4 Comments Member Activity

13 Ways to Incorporate Math Into Your Activity Calendar

Math might not be everyone's favorite subject, but its foundations are in daily tasks like grocery shopping or in more complex tasks like construction. Using these daily and familiar operations, you can give the seniors you serve the chance to use their brain in a different way.

6 Comments Member Activity

Fill-in the Blanks - Famous Tennis Players

Fill-in the blanks for these famous former No. 1 tennis players!

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September Birthdays

Every week I put together a Powerpoint of birthdays. These September birthdays are this week (week beg 16 Sept).  I give them clues and the initials and before reveal the famous birthday, let them guess!

6 Comments Member Activity

Wheel of Fortune or Hangman with Dice

To make word guessing easier for dementia residents, I assign a number to each blank letter in the answer using numbers 1-6. The player rolls a die and I fill in all the blanks with that number.

10 Comments Member Activity

NRL Teams in Australia

Fill in the blanks for these Australian NRL clubs!

Loneliness and Isolation in Nursing Homes

If a resident prefers to be alone, are they lonely? It can make us feel nervous when we don’t see residents at group activities. However, not all residents appear to want to create a social connection.

1 Comment Member Activity

This Day in History for Seniors: October

A reminiscing magazine for every day in October! Enjoy the next edition of the popular 'This Day in History' series with historical trivia, jokes, quotes and biographies!

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Kokedamas

This activity is great for people to do a hands-on garden project that does not take a lot of time.

4 Comments Member Activity

Alice in Wonderland Christmas Pantomime

The 2019 Pantomime - number 7 in the series - is now available! We hop you enjoy Alice in Wonderland - a Christmas pantomime written in rhyme!

American Football Word Games

Gather residents to try their hand at a few word games with a football spin, designed to get their brains working. These are great to do all together or to use one or two before other activities begin.

3 Comments

Pumpkin Decorating Without Carving

‘Tis the season for pumpkins and gourds galore. Brighten up your community, and enjoy some creative time with residents, by hosting multiple pumpkin decorating workshops.

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Mad Science Activities

Host a Mad Science Laboratory event at your community, inviting residents to take a front-row seat in your science class.

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American Football or Soccer?

Did you know most areas across the globe use the word “football” to describe what Americans call “soccer”? Decide if these words and phrases are used in football or in soccer... or both!

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American Football Teams - Fill in the Blanks

Test your team knowledge by filling-in the blanks of popular teams!

2 Comments

Line Drawing for Seniors

This activity can enhance participants observation skills, and strengthen hand-eye coordination. Pablo Picasso was considered a master at this medium among others.  His animal line drawings are breathtaking in their simplicity.

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My Favorite Teacher Reminiscing

Childhood reminiscing provides validation and assurance for people living with dementia. Most people had a favourite teacher growing up and most would not have had the chance to say thank you to them.

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Christopher Columbus Trivia

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator, who completed four voyages across the Atlantic ocean.  He was the first European to discover a viable sailing route to the Americas, a continent that was unknown at that time.

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Who's Who in the Photo

I wanted to share an activity that I did this morning with my dementia residents. I developed about 60 pictures that I have taken over the last 2 months. We all sat in a circle and I handed them a photo and they tried to recognize themselves or a person in the group. 

4 Comments Member Activity